In the transmission of utility power lines, it is often necessary to route the power lines over areas of land covered with trees, thick brush and/or other vegetation. Therefore, rights-of-way are often cut through vegetation and then maintained to accommodate the power lines using ground- or air-applied herbicides. This method, however, may be undesirable particularly during windy weather since the herbicides may be blown from the rights-of-way onto adjacent crops and animals. Alternative methods which involve the use of ground-supported cutting equipment and personnel to cut and maintain the rights-of-way may be expensive, laborious and time-consuming.
Accordingly, an airborne tree trimming apparatus which can be suspended from a flying helicopter to trim a right-of-way for electric power lines or the like through vegetation may be desirable for some applications.